It's March Madness for Music
Liner Notes: The Concrete Grit and Realism of Lou Reed’s New York
Last weekend, I traveled to Connecticut to visit family and celebrate a birthday. It was a quick but fun trip that included dinner and meeting many new faces. On the return, I had lunch at Le Jardin Cafe and then popped into Red Scroll Records in Wallingford, CT, to see what was new. I picked up a few albums, both new and old, including a CD by The Necks, a reissue of Mule Variations by Tom Waits, a new release by Los Angeles sax and flute man Aaron Shaw, some electronic music, and a collection of Japanese disco, funk, and boogie from the 1970s and 80s. It’s a great store, and I could have stayed longer, but I didn’t want to keep the driver, a.k.a. my wife, waiting too long! 😀
On the voyage home, in the steady rain along a busy Route 91 north, we listened to a lot of music, including this particular favorite of mine by The Pogues, Lorelei. It’s from their 1989 album called Peace and Love, and it’s one of my favorite songs. The funny thing is that Shane MacGowan isn’t the singer here. Instead, guitarist Phillip Chevron & Kristy MacColl took the lead. The song is based on the poem by Heinrich Heine.
Liner Notes
Sharing stories about albums in my collection. My mission is simple: one record and one story at a time. Since I bought my first record in 1982, I’ve been obsessed with the stories hidden in the grooves. This is a sanctuary for the music nerds, and the audibly curious, dedicated to records and the liner notes that keep them alive.
Being a high schooler in the New Hampshire Seacoast in the spring of 1989, the world felt a little smaller when doing my homework with 100.3 WHEB on the dial. There was a specific magic to those evenings, hearing a DJ like Scott Ladouni play a song that sounded like nothing else on the airwaves, at that moment. When “Dirty Boulevard” first crackled through my speakers, it wasn’t just a song; it was a poem about the reality of city life for many immigrants, far away from my little neighborhood. Lou’s expressionless delivery and that rhythmic guitar, along with Rob Wasserman’s effective bass line, paired with the sound of that well-mic’d snare, well, it hooked me right away. It felt like an invitation into a dark, crowded world made of asphalt, alleys, and people just trying to survive.
After that first listen, I demanded a trip to the Newington Mall the very next day. The routine was sacred: a straight shot to The Musicsmith to buy the cassette, followed by a stop at Paperback Booksmith to browse the Farside books on the crooked shelves. The day was fueled by the mandatory Orange Julius and a salty pretzel. If the cassette bins at the mall didn’t satisfy my itch, the ritual ended with a bike ride over to Strawberries Records & Tapes to check the neon-lit aisles for more music.
Did you know that Lou Reed included a directive in the liner notes of the album?
“This record is meant to be listened to in one sitting, as though it were a book or a movie.”
From the opening tracks about relationships, AIDS, and the annual gay pride parade in Greenwich Village, to songs about urban life and those less fortunate, religion and faith, his friend Andy Warhol, and spoken-word environmentalism, the entire album is excellent.
Popping that tape into the deck for the first time, the beautiful plastic smell that came with every cassette, still fresh, still warm from unwrapping, was almost a rite of passage. It’s 35 years later, and the ‘Statue of Bigotry’ still feels relevant as it did when that tape was playing on the Sherwood in my bedroom. Between the anchors of Montgomery Ward and Bradlee’s, and the glow of The Dream Machine arcade, I found a masterpiece album. New York remains a masterclass in how much weight a few chords, deep and meaningful lyrics, and a lot of truth can carry.
Playlist
Thundercat & Lil Yachty — I Did This To Myself (feat. Flying Lotus)
Tom Misch — Red Moon
Ladytron — I Believe in You
Tedeschi Trucks Band — Who Am I
Kim Gordon — NOT TODAY
Les Imprimés — Next Summer
Mitski — I’ll Change for You
I’m With Her — The Obvious Child (Nashville)
David Hillyard & The Rocksteady Seven — Home For Dinner
New Music This Week
This creative, artful album arrived in the mail this week as part of the International Anthem winter bundle. Now available on Bandcamp or in most local record stores. It’s a string trio - violin, viola, and cello with beautiful effects throughout the album. I love every track, but my standout is paper folding | disappearing.
This entire EP is worth owning, but the first track, CARA MALUCO, is a jammer. Psych rock, garage fuzz, and hints of punk rock all mixed together for you to play loud. I also got the vinyl, which is limited and comes with an etching on side two. Worth checking out!
If Nick Cave singing Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman isn’t enough, well, there’s so much more here! Flea and his delightful cast of musicians also interpret songs from Frank Ocean, George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, and Anna Ronell. It also has some beat poetry by Flea and conscious thoughts with A Plea. While Flea plays trumpet and bass throughout his debut jazz album, he’s joined by the album producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), bassist Anna Butterss (SML), and drummer Deantoni Parks. Johnson, Parker, and Butterss were part of a residency in Los Angeles called Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, billed as Jeff Parker’s ETA IVtet. You purchase their live albums online from International Anthem and Eremite Records.
That’s all for this week.
Thank you so much for reading! I always appreciate it. - JB